


Caught

by Eliza



Series: Almost Love: A Prelude [3]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Developing Relationship, M/M, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-17
Updated: 2019-05-17
Packaged: 2020-03-06 16:49:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,775
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18855079
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eliza/pseuds/Eliza
Summary: Otabek and Yuri being roommates during the 2016 Four Continents in Taiwan.





	Caught

“Yes, Mr. Altin, we have the reservation, but Mr. Plisetski has asked that he be called to explain the situation before you register.”

Yuri’s flair for the dramatic was something Otabek loved and hated in turns. They had talked or messaged every day since the Grand Prix so Otabek was getting to know the tone that meant there was an underlying issue that needed to be pried out from the surrounding turmoil. There were also times when Yuri just needed to vent, usually not pleasant but often enlightening. And then there were the times when it was simply hilarious.

Otabek looked at his coach, who shrugged and said, “They've upgraded my room, so I have two large beds if you need a place to sleep. I might as well keep the equipment, too. I've got the space.” Otabek gave him the bags with his skates and costumes, and they arranged to meet the next day for practice and to work out the final strategy for the short program.

Heading toward the elevators, his coach passed Yuri, hobbling in on his walking cast. Otabek knew the prognosis of Yuri’s wobbly landing during the European Championships, but he also knew what ankle injuries could mean to a skater. Yuri brushed off his concern.

“It's fine. I could skate on it now, but everyone is fussing. That’s why they shipped me all the way to Taiwan, to keep me off the ice. Being able to see you win the Four Continents was the only reason I agreed. But there are much bigger problems than my foot--Victor has booked a suite.”

Otabek wasn’t sure he heard correctly.

Yuri looked at him like he was being deliberately dense. “For _us_. To get in and out of our room, we'll have to walk through a common room.”

“I'm failing to see the problem.”

“A common room which might contain Victor. Or Katsudon. Or worse, Victor _and_ Katsudon. Together.”

Otabek made a valiant effort not to smile and signalled to the desk clerk, who was doing a fair job at keeping a straight face herself. He signed the registration and thanked her as she passed him his cardkey. He couldn’t look at Yuri; he was going to laugh his ass onto the floor if he looked at Yuri. 

“You don’t have to do this,” Yuri said as they made their way to the elevator. “I made sure your coach had a large enough room.”

Then there was Yuri being sweet, which still made Otabek’s heart jump when it happened even if, to some people, it could seem like— “Are you trying to get rid of me?”

“NO! I.…” He had missed seeing that blush in person. “I don’t want you to not want to--,” Yuri paused as he waited for people to get off the elevator and then quickly hit their floor and the close-door button once they were in, “not want to see me anymore because you always get stuck having to deal with Victor.”

They’d known each other barely two months and already they had a familiar argument. Otabek couldn’t help his smile, even if it was likely to annoy Yuri. “I know you hate it when I say this, but I don’t mind Victor.”

“You’ll wake up to the reality of him someday, and then kick me to the curb,” Yuri grumbled.

This set of baggage was becoming familiar, too. Yuri was staring at the floor so Otabek took a moment just to look, to let himself want, baggage and all, then said, “You’re adorable when you’re grumpy.”

“Shut up. You’re still an asshole.” Yuri glared up at him through his bangs, and then nudged their shoulders. “Glad some things never change.”

They made the rest of the trip in comfortable silence, although Yuri sighed dramatically when they reached the room. “I’m back,” he called once he opened the door. There was no answer and Yuri started to mutter, likely curses. He stomped into the common room and picked up a pad of paper. “Who the hell leaves a note anymore?! They say they’ll pick up lunch on their way back.” 

Lunch sounded good. Otabek nodded and held up his bag, Yuri jerked his chin to the far side of the room and they both headed toward the door. Yuri’s chosen bed was already covered with stuff, so Yuri took a seat on the other one while Otabek found a place for his bag. They had spent so much of their time together talking, it was a relief to know silence worked just as well between them. 

Otabek did what little unpacking he needed to do, and as he was hanging up his suit, he checked on the small package he had tucked into the inside pocket. “Do you have plans for your birthday yet?” he asked. Yuri shrugged and flopped back crossways on the bed, but Otabek wasn’t going to give him an out this time. “It’s next week and sixteen is a big deal.” 

“I hope to be back on the ice by then. I’ll need to be doing catch-up for Worlds.” Yuri started bouncing the heel of his plastic boot against the floor. “Any celebrations will have to wait.” 

“Okay.” It was probably a good idea to save the present for later as well.

“That’s it?” Yuri said, astonished. His confused gaze followed Otabek, who took a seat on the other side of the bed. He hitched up his leg, so he could face Yuri. 

“You’re right. It’s better to keep focused.”

Yuri made a disgusted sound and propped himself up on his elbows. “Jesus, Altin. What’s the point of having a…a friend with a motorcycle if you can’t count on him to get you into trouble.”

That tiny stammer made Otabek reassess the suitability of the present yet again. He smiled, taking Yuri’s challenge. “I could probably come up with something to ruin your training schedule.” He stretched out on the bed beside Yuri, head almost even with Yuri’s hip. He plucked at the shirt just above Yuri’s waistband, rubbing the skin underneath, then said, “I wouldn’t mind getting a gold at Worlds….”

Otabek caught sight of the grin before Yuri collapsed back down onto the bed and slapped his hand away. “In your dreams!” 

~~~~

“I should be doing this for you,” Yuri said, stretching in such a way that made him seem to sink deeper into the bedding. He was diligent about doing the assigned physio on his ankle and Otabek didn’t mind the distraction of Yuri’s skin, even if it was just giving him a massage. Yuri practically purred as Otabek dug his thumbs into Yuri’s arch.

“Tomorrow,” Otabek said. “If I win.”

“When you win,” Yuri rebutted, his eyes slitting open. “Second means you’re skating before JJ again and you intimidate the hell out of him.”

Otabek shrugged. He was more worried about Katsuki; his free skate was hard to beat now that he’d acquired the technical points to go with his creative scores. And Otabek was debuting a second edition of his own program. He had flown directly from Barcelona to Calgary for a vacation which ended up being a working one as Lauren had been inspired to adjust the choreography of his free skate. The changes were good, but it was still a new arrangement and untried in competition.

Yuri kicked him to get his attention. This was why he’d welcomed the offer of having a roommate, it helped keep him out of his head--out of his skating--before an event. He looked over, apologetic, to see Yuri studying him. He raised his eyebrows in question. Yuri replied, “Why haven’t you kissed me yet?”

Now…that was a change of topic. “I could ask you the same.”

“But you didn’t. Don’t you want to?”

“It’s not a question of want,” Otabek said. He had been trying to take things slow, not to push, let Yuri set the pace, but he didn’t think he’d been that opaque. He ran his hand up Yuri’s calf as far as he could reach.

The pink rising in Yuri’s cheeks said the message had been received. “Then what’s it a question of?” 

Otabek didn’t want to have this conversation right now—or ever—but there was a hint of vulnerability in Yuri’s tone which Otabek couldn’t ignore. He leaned back over the headboard with a resigned groan, hiding his face behind his hands. “It sounds so stupid when I say it out loud,” he said into his palms. Yuri pulled his feet off Otabek’s lap and sat up, looking determined and motioning for Otabek to continue. “I’m being nagged.” 

“Nagged? Who the fuck would do that?” Yuri looked worried now, and that was not the direction Otabek wanted this to go. 

“Lauren’s message after the Grand Prix short program was just the beginning.” Yuri’s nod indicated he remembered the message he had read on Otabek’s phone. “It’s not constant; she’s not horrible. I was in Calgary for three weeks and she only made a couple of comments. She choreographs her…suggestions the way she does her jumps—for maximum effect.” 

Yuri’s slow smile was almost as unnerving as the worry. “So, you’re being stubborn,” Yuri said. 

Otabek winced. “It doesn’t help that I hear her voice telling me what I should do every time I want to kiss you.” 

“No wonder you feel like you’re being nagged--you want to kiss me a lot,” Yuri said, smugly. Otabek scoffed. “You’re not as hard to read as you think you are, Beka.” Otabek tried to keep his expression neutral but gave up when Yuri swung himself into Otabek’s lap, straddling his thighs. Looked like jewellery as a birthday present was going to work after all. Whatever he had in his expression now made Yuri’s smile a little brighter. “The first time was by the bike when we were going to dinner that night in Barcelona.”

“The first time you know of,” Otabek said, barely getting his voice above a whisper. He brushed his hands up Yuri’s thighs to settle on his hips. Yuri took a deep breath and his gaze dropped to Otabek’s mouth.

“Any issues with me kissing you?”

Otabek pretended to think about this for a moment, making Yuri huff a laugh. “Nope.”

“Good. Because you can’t have this as a distraction tomorrow. We need to get it out of your system.” 

What he’d told Lauren from Barcelona was right: he was in such trouble. The thought made him grin. “Really? You think kissing me _now_ will lessen the distraction?”

Yuri shrugged, leaned in and said, “How good could it be?”


End file.
